Welcome
to today's issue of
BOUNDARY
BULLET-zine
The
Daily On-line e-zine for 252
Oldham Athletic Supporters
Worldwide
Today's
Edition for
3rd July 2000
Today's
Headlines
Oldham
Evening Chronicle
Allott
and McNiven in the frame
MARK
ALLOTT and Scott McNiven are still in Athletic’s plans for the new season
after agreeing to play for the club on week-to-week contracts. The
22-year-olds would have become free agents at midnight on Friday, but they
instead signed temporary deals and will join their team-mates when pre-season
training begins later this week. There
have been no bids for either striker Allott or defender McNiven, both of
whom have been available since the end of February. Athletic, who insisted
they couldn’t afford to go any higher, took the surprise step of transfer-listing
the duo when they turned down the new terms on offer.By
keeping them tied to the club, Athletic have retained the rights for two
players who could bring in valuable fees.
Allott
was joint leading scorer last season, despite missing 14 games through
injury, while the versatile McNiven had a consistent campaign and has already
made over 150 senior appearances. The
arrangement can go on indefinitely, but it does present a problem for manager
Andy Ritchie. Allott and McNiven are two of Athletic’s most important players
— but either of them could leave at seven days’ notice.
For any programme
collectorsI
have just uploaded hundreds of lot's on e-ebay. Mostly Latics programmes
mainly late 60's to early 90's from a couple of pence upwards. Please take
a look if you are interested.Gary Letter
from Jon of London Gary Just
a word to say thank you for the interview with Mr. Brierley. It was interesting
and I am looking forward to your interview with Andy Ritchie very much.
I understand Mr. Brierley's upset at the tone of the first two questions
and I hope he will not withdraw this "facility" in the future. I am really
looking forward to next season. We do have problems, I would like to see
the back of Gary Kelly, he does the difficult well but all to often he
makes a fool of himself with the easy. Next season David Miskelly must
be given a extended run. I would be disappointed if we finish outside the
playoff places. Just
a word about yourself Gary. It is getting on for 12 months since you started
this newsletter and I have to compliment you. I have never been so well
informed about the Latics as I am now. I know you put a lot of work into
the BBZ and I just wanted to say how much I appreciate it. How
about sponsoring a player in the name of Boundary Bullet-zine?. I would
be more thank happy to chip in £5 for it. It helps the club and helps
promote the Newsletter. What do you think? Anyway
Gary keep up the good work (please) and all the best to you. Jon
Teamtalk
Oldham
Bookies
rank Latics as outsiders
The Bookies
don't fancy Oldham's chances in the coming season as they rate Andy Ritchie's
side as 40-1 outsiders. The Latics have been classed as having the same
chance as Bournemouth, Bury and newly-promoted Peterborough of glory come
next May, although Ritchie will be hoping to boost his squad further before
the start of the campaign. Last season's play-off contenders Wigan and
Millwall along with Stoke City are the early favourites for the Second
Division crown.
Reaction
to double deal
Chief
executive Alan Hardy has said that the week-to-week terms that Mark Allott
and Scott McNiven are on, is not ideal but is the best possible solution.
The pair signed their week-to-week offers on Friday after turning down
the two year contracts on offer to them by the club. That means the Latics
will continue to be able to play them whilst paying them their current
wage and retaining compensation rights. Alan Hardy said in response to
the agreement: "There were two options, one which would have allowed them
to continue playing for us whilst they sort out their futures or one which
wouldn't. They have agreed to week to week terms which allows them to play
and they will of course be subject to the club's disciplinary regulations.
"It's far from an ideal situation but at least they remain able to play
and Andy Ritchie is able to play them should he wish to."
Duo
sign weekly deals
Oldham
pay rebels Mark Allot and Scott McNiven have signed their first weekly
contracts after both rejected new and improved two-year deals. Allot was
the club's joint leading scorer last season as the striker hit eleven goals
but both he and the ex-Scottish international defender McNiven remain on
the transfer-list. The Latics have not received any bids for either player
as yet and the problem for boss Andy Ritchie is if they leave shortly before
or after the season starts. If their departures were to come at such a
time then their possible replacements may have already been fixed up with
other clubs.
Graham
upset to leave Latics
Richard
Graham has admitted he is very disappointed not to be an Oldham player
any longer after his contract ran out on June 30th. The 25 year-old was
the club's longest-serving player until last Friday when he turned down
a new offer. It was the second time that the Dewsbury-born Graham had rejected
a twelve-month deal and it left the club with little option but to withdraw
the offer. Graham's four-year contract expired at midnight on Friday and
the player admitted it was a blow to leave the club where he had been for
twelve years. He said: "I am disappointed that after being with them for
so long they did not offer me something more long-term. But that's football
for you and there isn't a lot I can do about it." The Latics will continue
to pay his wages for one month unless he can fix himself up with another
club. Graham has suffered one injury after another over the past two years
and hopes he will not out of a job for too long. He added: "Several clubs
are showing interest and my agent is dealing with it."
Ritchie
disappointed to lose Graham
Oldham
boss Andy Ritchie has revealed that he did not want Richard Graham to leave
the club but there were few options available. Graham made his Oldham debut
against Manchester United in December 1993 when the Latics were a Premiership
side. However the injury problems of the last two seasons had left the
club at a a point where finances meant they could not offer Graham a longer
deal. Ritchie said: "A fully-fit Richard Graham would have been an asset
to the club, but we had to take into account his medical record and the
fact that we are working on a shoestring budget."
Shadow
stadium board set up
A shadow
board for Oldham's new stadium has been set up with Oldham council and
the club having equal shares and three directors each. A seventh director
will be appointed from Oldham rugby league, who will share Boundary Park,
although at the moment it has no shares. More details of this matter will
be announced later this month.
Contributions
and letters should be sent to Gary
Davies by e-mail at [email protected].Boundary
Bullet-zine Archive can be found at http://www.geocities.com/laticsgary.geo.The
views expressed on this e-zine are not the views of Oldham Athletic
F.C. nor necessarily the views of the Editor.This
e-zine is a unofficial publication NOT sanctioned by Oldham Athletic Football
Club.The
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